Mechanics of a Friendship
by Flywheel Shyster and Flywheel
Summary: Three friends gather in a garage to rebuild Rolf's tractor; conversations about the past and future occur, a lot of technobabble in between.


It was an odd display. Not the fact that Double-D was spending this Saturday in his garage, hammering away at something extraordinary, but that he was not alone.

Actually, no; it was more unusual than odd.

Unusual because it had been quite some time since Double-D last spent time with the other kids without Ed and Eddy. Especially unusual because it was _Kevin and Rolf _who had knocked on his door a few hours earlier. Once their wish had been expressed though, some of the oddity was taken out of the equation.

But he still found himself wondering if they wanted him there for the company or for his widely famous, and infamous, knowledge of the area. Perhaps both. Not that he complained; it felt... Good to be reminded that he had a life outside of his two namesakes.

So while the situation was unusual, it wasn't odd. Well, apart from he music that streamed out of Kevin's portable speakers standing in the corner.

"_För det ska löna sig, löna sig, och va Reinfeldt; skaffa jobb men jag som tänkte skaffa cancer; bara få ligga där, njuta av en Pfizer; jobba typ en dag per år, Arne Weise_"

The inventor and the jock shared a look of disbelief, since they didn't understand a word of the lyrics, but Rolf simply sneered and proceeded with educating them on the importance of widening their musical horizons.

"Hey, you know, whatever; the beat's kinda... Fat." Kevin exchanged the wrench in his hand with a screwdriver, shifting his focus back to the work they had in front of them.

"It certainly is interesting. Gentlemen; goggles." The two complied to Double-D's request; not questioning just exactly what it was that was being constructed on the workbench and definitely not questioning why their host's garage was as equally equipped as a professional mechanics shop.

"Rolf is overjoyed that sock-headed-Ed-boy agreed to help in the tune-up of Rolf's tractor!" The farm-boy affectioningly patted the side of said vehicle, the content of which was strewn out over the floor and benches around them.

"Oh, I'm more than happy to; what are neighbors and friends for otherwise?" Double-D raised his welding mask temporarily to flash them a grin.

"Yeah; it's a fucking sweet setup you got here, man." Kevin peered through the hood of the tractor, wondering what the hell was being done to the exhaust pipe over there.

"Thank you, Kevin; I would say it's a collection of tools that has expanded over the years. Once Father saw what I was capable of, he decided to invest in this workshop for me. Quite sure he mumbled something about how it would keep me away from narcotics and unprotected sex." The redhead let out a laugh.

"Yeah; Dad said something similar when I told him I'm getting a bike the day I turn eighteen."

"Rolf has never understood the fascination your guardians have with the safety of the concubitum; in the old country, the sensation of a man's-"

"I think we've heard quite enough about the sexual customs of foreign countries for one day, thank you!"

"Hey, Rolf; give me a hand here!"

"Gladly, Kevin-boy!" Breathing a sigh of relief that they had averted their blue-haired friend from the subject, they returned to their activities.

"Aight, man; just lift it straight up." With joined forces, they lifted off the grill of the tractor; revealing the engine from a third angle.

"Good work, gentlemen; I do believe we are ready to remove the heart of the vehicle." Putting aside the blowtorch, Double-D took off the mask and wiped his hands on a nearby rag.

"How would one go about?" This was new territory for the shepherd; sure, Kevin had expanded his knowledge of basic tractor repairs but it had never gotten to the point where the whole engine had to be taken out.

"I trust it's mobile?" Kevin crossed his arms and nodded. "Excellent; please aid me in moving the crane then." Confused, they followed Double-D to the far corner of the garage where the beanie-wearing youngster pulled a sheet off of an enormous metal frame.

"Holy shit, dude; did you build this?"

"Once upon a time, yes." With combined force, they pushed the hulking shape to the front of the tractor. Connecting a few wires and cables, a small motor situated near the bottom began to whir and Double-D smiled satisfactory. "Let's connect the bolts to the engine." Kevin stared in awe as his inventive friend picked up a small joystick, with which he controlled a mechanical arm that suddenly twitched to life.

"Man, you should be a fucking Mythbuster or something."

"Well, thank you, Kevin; it's always good to have career choices, I presume." Positioning the arm correctly, he pointed to the locations where they would connect the harness at the end of the arm to the engine. "Speaking of which, have you contemplated your future after senior year yet?" It was so easy to forget that this was the last summer; the last summer before graduation, college, the beginning of their adult lives.

"Yeah, a little. When I was with Nazz, the thought was to get a football scholarship somewhere; she would match it with her application and just roll with that. Now, I don't know. It's always a blast, being out on the field, but the fuck do I know if I wanna do it forever." So was the case; after his relationship with Nazz had ended, he had felt a shift in his priorities and was no longer certain about anything really.

"Wise thoughts, Kevin." Rolf secured the last of the bolts and gave Double-D the thumbs up; the frame creaked slightly as the engine became airborne but sustained nonetheless. "Rolf himself feels like returning home to the Old Country once finished with this last year."

"Really, Rolf?" Double-D's eyes widened in surprise but judging from the lack of reaction on Kevin's face, he had heard of these plans before.

"I keep trying to talk him out of it but he just goes into some kinda Martin Luther King mode."

"Rolf is the proud offspring of the mother Gaia; destined to plough her field and seduce her radishes, the blood of the shepherd runs as one with the rain and his heart beats in time to the Earth's travel. That is the path the great Nano walked as it will be Rolf's to travel. Nothing these States have to offer these two hands of Rolf's would satisfy his soul like the labor of the Earth." Once again, Double-D and Kevin shared a confused look but decided not to ask for clarification; those had a habit of running even longer and more complex.

"Well, you do whatever you feel is best for you, Rolf. We would miss you terribly though." The beanie-wearer didn't even want to think of the boogie in the barnyard that was going to be raised when it became time to ship away the animals.

"As Rolf would you all. What are the plans for too-smart-for-his-britches-Ed-boy then?"

"Yeah, man; you oughta have the big league schools knocking on your door before Christmas." As Double-D returned to his welding station, Kevin began to instruct Rolf of his intention with the engine.

"Well, when we set out on the journey that is secondary education, Oxford was always the choice if one would be allowed to dream. I feel now that it would be slightly wiser to remain within the country's limit so I assume John Hopkins or Massachusetts Institute of Technology could be a prime candidates; depending on if I choose the medical path or the technical path. In either cases; it is, of course, rather to difficult to become accepted but I shall do my very best."

"Hey; if you do, the others doesn't have a damn chance, man."

"Indeed, Double-D-Ed-boy; would not this mechanical wonder be enough to still your worry?" Double-D smiled, thankful of their support, before putting on his mask and continuing with his welding work while Kevin and Rolf continued with their trimming of the engine.

* * *

"A fine job, indeed!" Rolf raised his jug of homemade who-knows-it and it collided with Kevin's beer can and Double-D's glass of lemonade. They leaned back into the chairs set up in Double-D's front yard, enjoying their well-deserved break and basking in the sun.

"Quite so, quite so. There's still some work left to do though; the flywheels need to be-"

"One thing at a time, bro; right now, we're chilling in the summer sun." Double-D silenced his urge to continue the work, instead following Kevin's direction. They looked out over the empty street where so many memories had taken place."I can't really believe it. That this is gonna end, like for real."

"Are you referring to the fact that our lives will be moving in different directions a year from now?"

"Yeah." He took off his old and well-worn red cap, running a hand through his sweaty hair.

"Rolf has difficulty realizing it too; it feels like yesterday tomfoolery-in-sheep-skin-hats-Ed-boys would run around, trying to to sneak the change out of our pants."

"Pfft, don't even get me started on those damn scams. I mean, sure; it was kinda cool stuff you'd done sometimes but come on, it just got dumb after a while."

"Yes, I too will admit that we might have tried your patience one time too many. Thankfully, we left those dishonest ways behind us." Double-D took a sip of his lemonade; he felt a little at unease to speak with Kevin about the subject, knowing just how much the soon-to-be-football-team-captain had suffered at the hands of him and his friends.

"Let's not allow the langoliers to feast on mistakes made past; a toast to the time leading up to the harvest!" Their respective containers collided a second time and they returned to observing the street. "Oh, if Rolf would have his way, he would like to remain in the Cul-de-Sac until the end of days."

"Why don't you then, man?" Rolf had grown to become his best friend over the years and Kevin was having difficulty imagining life, any life, without the broken English, weird customs and frenzied livestock.

"Like head-in-hat-foot-in-shoe-Ed-boy's plans go, so does life. Maybe it is soon time to move away from these times; as close as they are to Rolf's heart, it cannot stay this way forever." Though curiously put, Kevin and Double-D could relate. As the Cul-de-Sac's older siblings had all moved away to college and jobs, so would they.

"It's a tragic thought." The chance was of course bigger that Double-D would drift apart from these two friends than Ed and Eddy, especially if the two would follow him to a college situated not far from his own, but that didn't mean he liked the idea. These people, they were his life; past and future disagreements included. "I assume all there is to do is to exult over the times we had together, be thankful that they aren't yet over and keep contact once located in different parts of the world."

"Sounds like a plan." Kevin took a swig too big of his beer and gritted his teeth. "Hate to admit it but I might even miss Dorky when the time comes. Don't tell him though."

"My lips are sealed. I am certain he shares your opinion though."

"It's just... Our whole lives have been nothing but crazy shit going on; some insane adventure, chilling around in the summer sun and just doing whatever felt fun at the moment with the people on this one street. How fucking different ain't life gonna be out there in the real world?" The thought was a little intimidating; a whole new no-nonsense world so opposite the one they had been raised in. Without each other's support.

"The life of the shepherd was always hard but the shenanigans with friends always made Rolf's burden easier to carry." Out of the corner of his eye; Rolf could see Kevin stare in the direction of Nazz's house where she had appeared to open a window. He himself felt a pang of sorrow as his thoughts went to his own woman, Gerta, who were still waiting for him in the Old Country. As sure as he was that she was the love of his life, he knew that Nazz was the love of Kevin's life and felt sympathy for his broken-hearted friend.

"Well, since thoughts of the past and future only lower the mood of the moment, I propose that we focus our attention on the present; there's still some modifications to be done to the tractor." As important as future events would be, they wouldn't arrive for another year and the last thing Double-D wanted was to ruin a perfectly good day moping over the inevitable changes and choices that had and would have to be made. As a matter of fact, an idea had occurred in his head that could turn the day into something else."I actually have some old inventions and experiments down in the basement that might interest our purposes now."

"Yeah?"

"What then, Ed-boy?"

"Would you say either of you have knowledge in the fields of electromagnetism and fusion conversion?"

* * *

"I don't know what the fuck we've done here but... It looks bitchin'." The three mechanics looked over their handiwork with great pride and confusion. Having followed Double-D's instructions to the minuscule detail, the tractor was... Futuristic in appearance. The original engine was still hanging from the steel frame, having been rejected for something much more powerful; Rolf and Kevin just didn't know what. Double-D had attempted to explain it in as simple terms as possible and the only thing they had understood was that the machine was now capable of 'speed that will make Hermes and Mercury weep in envy'.

"Rolf is... Thankful for the help, Ed-boy, but confused; will this vehicle be able to harvest the cabbage once the time of the moon is upon us?" Rolf walked around his tractor twice, still curious about what the monstrous technology that had been implemented into it was capable of.

"Oh, that and so much more. Why don't we make a trial run?"

"Sure; I'm dying to see what speed this baby's capable of." Kevin climbed up, taking a hold of the single seat and leaning on the right fender which was one of many things added.

"How does one start this doohickey then, builder-of-the-future-Ed-boy?" Rolf got into the driver's seat and eyed the buttons, dials and gyroscopes installed on the dashboard suspiciously.

"The same way as always; a simple twist of the key. Kevin, safety precautions first." Kevin caught the safety harness which had been thrown to him before Double-D too climbed up, already equipped in his own harness.

"Seriously?"

"Limited room to install seats; this ensures that we will not fly to kingdom come once we accelerate to higher velocities." He attached it to a metal loop welded to the floor of the tractor. Kevin gave him a skeptic look.

"What; you think we're gonna break the sound barrier or something?"

"Rolf wouldn't put it past this mechanical monster." The shepherd's hand hovered insecurely over a big red button, scared that it would blow them all up right there and then.

"No worries, Rolf; certain features will not be available until a specific speed has been reached." The wide grin on Double-D's face was all the confirmation Kevin needed to quickly jump into the harness and hook it up to the tractor; they were in for an intense ride.

"Aight, let's go then." Kevin patted Rolf's shoulder twice and he turned the key in the ignition. The tractor rumbled to life instantly; something it hadn't done since his family had bought it years and years ago.

"Ed-boy, Rolf is already impressed with your tinkering!" They rolled out of the garage, the door to which Double-D closed with the click of a remote, and continued down the street; slowly puttering out of Rethink Avenue.

"Are you kidding me, Double-D? If anything, it's going slower than before!" The red-head felt a tinge of disappointment at the anticlimax; had all their work been for nothing?

"This is what I like to call 'the September System'; for harvesting crops! I do believe... Yes; take a left here, Rolf!" The driver turned the steering wheel in the desired direction and they came onto a deserted road, stretching out into the far distance above which the sun was beginning to set. "Now, let's flip this switch here and like that; we have power!" Barely had the switch turned over before the engine crackled violently and shot sparks out the sides of the hood; not to mention that the tractor suddenly shot down the road at a break-necking pace.

"_**HOLY SHIT!**_"

"_**ROLF AGREES WITH THE STATEMENT OF SACRED SECRETION!**_" The world on the sides of the road turned into a blur as the three young men zoomed forth, the air whipping them in their faces and bringing out tears in their eyes.

"GOGGLES WOULD BE BENEFICIAL AT THIS STAGE!" Kevin and Double-D rapidly lowered their safety gear and helped Rolf with his, as his hands were busy holding onto the steering wheel with all his might.

"**TURN, DUDE; TURN!**" A turn came up quickly in front of them and Rolf jerked the wheel to the left; the vehicle obeyed immediately and followed the edge of the road perfectly.

"STILL HAVING DOUBTS, KEVIN?" They were having a hard time making themselves heard as their voices blended with the wind that roared past but the self-satisfactory smile on Double-D's face would have said enough.

"FUCK NO; THIS IS AWESOME, MAN!" A familiar feeling of relief and freedom washed over Kevin; this was everything he had ever hoped to achieve on every bike he had ever had.

"ED-BOY, IS THE INDICATOR FOR OUR MOVEMENT IN SHAMBLES ALREADY?" They all leaned over and looked at the speedometer; they must have reached at least fifty miles per hour but the needle was still resting firmly in the far left corner.

"HEAVENS NO; WE'RE JUST NOT MOVING _FAST ENOUGH_ TO GET A PROPER READOUT!" Kevin and Rolf both took their eyes of the road to give the inventor a look of stunned disbelief; if their current speed wasn't enough to satisfy the technologically improved monster, just how fast was 'fast enough' then?

"SO HOW FAST CAN THIS DAMN THING GO THEN?" With a hand on his head to hold onto his cap, and the other one firmly holding on to the driver's seat, Kevin glanced at the many unexplored dials on the dashboard.

"WHO KNOWS?"

"ROLF VOTES THAT WE FIND OUT!" The ride was going smoothly so far and he had complete faith in Double-D's judgement; if there was anything unsafe with this experiment, he wouldn't have instigated it. Besides, this was the sort of shenanigans that would seize once back home in his native country which only made it more important to enjoy the current ride.

"LET'S TAKE IT FOR ALL IT HAS!" The adrenaline was pumping throughout Kevin's body and for the first time since breaking with Nazz, he felt alive again. This was what it was all about; speeding down an open road with friends. It didn't stop him from giving the cable attaching him to the tractor an extra tug though; there had after all been mention of flying to kingdom come.

"VERY WELL, GENTLEMEN; HOLD ON TO YOUR SOULS BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO REACH HELLISH MOMENTUM!" Double-D gave them both an assuring grin before reaching over and pressing a few button, followed by a gentle adjustment of the purple gyroscope. He had absolutely no idea what would happen next but knew that the multitude of safety measures he had installed would be enough not to put them in harm's way. Probably. But that just added to the exhilaration of the trip; not knowing what would happen next. "**ON WE GO!**"

Their excited yells and laughs floated away with the wind when, in the blink of an eye, the tractor disappeared in a green-tinted flash into the sunset; leaving a rain of sparks behind them as they flew forth, away from Peach Creek and their future problems at ridiculous speeds. No matter how old they got, there would always be time for one more adventure.


End file.
